Tarnished Innocence
by Chiyuuki
Summary: Sakura couldnt see the light in herself anymore. She didnt love herself nor could she ever again, even so she wants to right the wrong Konoha had done to her in hopes to destroy the world that had created somemone like her. Itasaku
1. Bloody Rampage

Chapter 1

She felt the anger boil up within her, the rage the pure power of sheer determination and will. Yes, for once in her life she felt the blood lust that became of a true shinobi. She felt for once in her life that she could hold the world in her hands and destroy it with just a flick. She knew now what she wanted, her hopes and dream for the future and all of it amounted to destroying the world.

Sakura jumped up from the incoming kunai into the safety of the air, she flipped and rolled back a chakra shield forming around deflecting the incoming weapons. For once in her life she felt truly alive, no longer caught between her loving and merciful self no longer stuck between that and her true potential to succeed. She ripped out a scroll from her side pocket copying the exact moves that Tenten was trying to pull on her. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she watched the enemy fall. So this is what it felt like to have power. She dodge an incoming kick from Rock Lee, an amused smirk play on her lips as she return the blow hearing the satisfying crack of his femur bone shattering within his left leg. She relished the sound of his resounding scream.

So this is what it felt like to be free. "Sakura-Chan!" came the cry of a familiar voice, she turned to the sound the blood of her enemies splattered across her clothes the bodies of the fallen nin at her feet. It was Naruto, but that no longer mattered she had forsaken the concept of friendship all that mattered now was the destruction of the world. The end of humanity the end of everything, "Naurto." She said back a slight amused tint in her voice. She looked down to her latest victim Lee she experimentally put a foot on the injured leg and relish in the sound of that tortured voice.

She heard the split second whir of shuriken in her direction. She frowned and dodged Naruto in her previous place with Kakashi leaning over the fallen comrade, in worry. She wondered when was the time she would have worried over that as well? Sakura smiled that's right, maybe a little over five years ago when she had left the village to find herself, only to come back from the mission heart broken to find that she had been betrayed. Framed, and accused she would not stand for it not anymore.

She watched from her perch on a tree as Kakashi flipped up his head band revealing his sharingan eye. Sakura stood her arms crossed a happy smile on her face, good he knew that reasoning with her would be of no use. He was going to fight her full force, and she would fight him full force, she guessed she would play with him for a while though, after all it had been a while since she played with her former sensei, some time was required on her part.

"Its been a while hasn't it sensei?" she said it in a happy tone one that didn't fit the present conditions and location. She saw a visual shudder, she knew what she looked like to those mismatching eyes. A chakra signature that could outclass Naruto in his kyuubi form, fluctuating and twisting wildly like a restless dragon, an amused smiled on her face, while the blood of his comrades decorated her clothes in red splatters. But she knew that he could see that the old Sakura was dead, and there wasn't a chance in hell that she was coming back, even for the sake of her falling comrades she had already proved that theory when she had downed, Tenten, Lee, and Ino.

Sakura wanted to kill them all, all of them who turned their backs on her and let her fall so easily into the clutches of the enemy. "I have to thank you sensei, this power Orochimaru put in me feels great." Sakura looked at her blackened nails, the perfect painted nails contrasted with her flawless white skin. She looked back him and watch as he had a flicker of guilt in his eyes. That's right they all knew what they had condemned her all except for her. So in turn she would turn her back against the world, against the kami in the sky, and burn it all to the ground.

The flames of her rage powered her, and when this was all done she would end herself, and meet them all in hell to repeat this never ending hate. She spun letting herself drop from the tree trunk and let herself free fall from it as Kakashi set his dogs on her. She turned to face them running back wards and sent them a wave of cutting Sakura petals, the clearing cleared revealing all of his familiars to be dead. They were animals, she liked them well enough but not enough for her to spare them in her quest for humanity to be wiped off the earth.

She saw the mourning look in Kakashi's eyes the rage in Naruto's but she knew he was torn between killing her and trying to save her. She pushed her chakra radar to its limits, more were coming in them Sasuke, Tsunade, Jiraya, Azuma, and Shino, along with the whole of a Konoha nin army. She was willing to take them on. Beside her, her familiar, appeared. It was a dragon in the shape of a human form by the name of, Ryuuren. "My lady, preparations for your introduction with the Akatsuki has been arranged they are waiting for you." Sakura looked away from the enemy for a moment to thank the dragon and send him away. He bowed respectfully his white Chinese robes flowing around him his short clipped white hair a halo around his head, the red earing flashing brightly setting off his equally red eyes.

Sakura turned back to the field, although she had taken her eyes off of them for just a moment she wasn't stupid enough to not keep tabs on the enemies positions. She wasn't surprised when she found herself facing the brunt of the Konoha army. She smiled at her old comrades, each held a piece of rage in her heart. Tsunade stepped up, "Sakura, as order of the Hokage I command you to cease your actions!" Sakura scoffed at the little inspirational speech, how could she expect her to fall for that one? "I'll cease when I've finally destroyed the world Tsunade."

She smirked as Tsunade stiffened never had Sakura not called her shishou, but that was the past, and such a thing would never come again. Sakura watched her train of thought she would try reasoning next. "Why are you doing this Sakura? Why wont you come back home?" Sakura kept the smirk on her face, those words fell flat to her, she was not moved by such an obvious tactic. Maybe if she were the sentimental shit she was before then maybe it might have worked.

"Why? For kicks of course Tsunade, I can feel the power flowing thorugh my veins. I'm actually happy that I absorbed Orochimaru and Kabuto. I now know what they know, and how to use it all to my advantage." Tsunade stiffened, Sakura knew she hit a sore spot. In actuality she didn't think the old woman could flinch at that, even after she had willingly sent her star pupil into the clutches of Orochimaru unarmed and un aware. Sakura chuckled to herself, "You create your own enemies Tsunade, it just so happens that you created me. Thanks for releasing my potential, now I can finally get what I want in life."

Sakura saw the hope of negotiation die in Tsunade's eyes. Finally she gave the order. With the wave of an arm, all of them sprung up at once to take her down. Sakura took out a scroll she had filched from the fallen Tenten, and let loose the bombing brigade, making a clean get away. She would be back, and no matter how many times they would try and kill her she refused to die.

_(VV)_

The blinding light didn't surprise her, the sounds of the resonating booms filled her ears a wave of nostalgia hit her. She knew that Sakura had gotten away. She had taught her student well, and now it was back to bite her. The bombs weren't meant to hurt them, no in fact Tsunade knew very well why Sakura had spared them, for the most part, and that was to make them suffer, they would all now witness the monster they had set upon the world thirsty for vengeance.

She looked around and surveyed the damage, she knew that Sakura had absorbed Orochimaru, he had taken her in place of Sasuke, and when his need for a body heightened he went to Sakura. She walked among the fallen all of it reminded her of one of the great wars she had already fought in the one that bestowed her the name of one of the Sannin. Tsunade, watched with detatched feelings struggling not to cry out, wondering why she had sent Sakura on that mission knowing very well that she would have a brush with Orochimaru.

What had taken her sanity away long enough not to realize that even Sakura wouldn't get away unscathed? Tsunade looked at the devestation her pupil had caused in just a matter of a short battle. The trees were scarred, some charred completely black ready to fall over and create dust storms of charcoal, the ground disturbed and upturned into an unrecognizable mass, weapons lie everywhere. She watched as they rushed the fallen to the hospital ward, they were alive, which meant that Sakura was merely playing with them crushing their wills in each decisive battle.

Tenten, was fallen by her own weapons, Lee his legs broken almost beyond repair, and Neji had his eyes slashed, his fingers and wrists broken, it was hard to say whether the young shinobi's would ever recover from such devastating wounds. To Tsunade it only proved how far gone Sakura was from them, but Tsunade could understand why though, why Sakura had the right to be this angry.

She had trusted them with her life, and they had smashed that into millions of pieces.


	2. Just a gift

Chapter 2

Sakura watched the Akatsuki one by one, as the filed into the room their red and black cloaks did little to hide their faces they weren't ashamed to show who they were and Sakura liked that, even if they were S-class criminals she knew that they were people who stayed true to themselves. She reached into a side pouch in her bag, and threw down the detached limb belonging to Orochimaru. "A present." She said with a low voice enjoying the act, no one knew so far who had killed Orochimaru, well… they knew her name, but she spread so many random rumors about height hair color eye color etc. that no one knew what she looked like.

She knew they were curious, and she kept that curiosity by hiding her face with a bamboo hat and veil. It landed with a sickening thump and a soft wshhing of a slide against the smooth marble floor. It was silent for a moment, then she saw the leader materialize from within the crowd. She didn't bow, she didn't nod merely stood, this man had to prove why she should bow down to him instead of the other way around. "Pein I presume?" she said with an easy calm. Beside her appeared her dragon familiar he knelt just behind her waiting for permission to speak. "Report." She said under her breath. "Yes, my lady, it seems that you were correct the Cloud and Sound are waiting for someone to take over for Orochimaru to launch the attack on Konoha, I have your seat specially reserved. Sakura smiled from under her veil, just her subordinates she accepted nothing but perfect.

"Dismissed." Sakura felt his chakra signature disappear, she turned back to the akatsuki group. "I believe you have an opening, would you be willing to accept me into your organization?" Sakura said it in a deeper voice then her own, if she could help it they would never know who she was and she could be free to work however anyway she wanted. She watched as a chakra string attatched itself to the arm bringing it up gently in the puppet master Sasori. Sakura felt the edges coming up she wondered how her worked, how was he able to extract himself from his original body, it was interesting.

He took the ring off the long mummified hand and handed ti to the leader who threw it to Sakura. She caught it without a problem and without disturbing her hat set gently upon her head, she smiled to herself, happy that things were going her way, maybe it was good that she had absorbed the old decrepit snake, his brain helped her greatly with her planning and predictions. She looked down at the ring that held so many memories for the struggling being within her, she snuffed out his resistance easily, her hatred was stronger then any will to live or ambitions Orochimaru had left living within her body.

She looked at the akatsuki smiling as she slipped on the ring, a flash of light and she felt a slight tug of a link between them, she guarded her feelings hopes and dreams not letting any of their minds into her dark fortress of her mind. Sakura looked at them as tools for her plan for world destruction, they were hers to use now, all she had to do was get close and use them like she had done in those many lives that was Orochimaru.

"You wont regret letting me in." she said her voice still slightly altered but not enough to raise alarm. She knew in fact that they probably would regret it, but that was ok, everything was justified in her world, god owed her that much, she knew that he would throw everything her had to save these pitiful creatures that were called 'human'. So in return she would accept that challenge and kill them all and burn everything to the ground in a blaze of flames, and like a phoenix maybe the world would arise a new.

"Sakura, welcome to the Akatsuki." Sakura slightly bowed, before their leader knowing it would be beneficial to her if she did. However something set her off, she knew that they didn't just accept her for the fact that she had killed Orochimaru, which meant they had investigated her. They knew what she had looked like the up until the day she had been put into Orochimaru's clutches, that still gave her the advantage it gave her that shroud of mystery that she had needed. She took a step forward to join their group, making her way there like a regal queen.

They knew about her, but what they didn't count on was that she knew them, all of them in detail, every shred of their past not left unturned, she knew them all their hopes and dream, and how to get close to them. All was going according to plan and the best part of it was, there was no one in the world who stop her.

_(VV)_

She was a strange being, or that was what Itachi thought, from under his hat he saw her through his sharingan vision, she had a dark chakra signature that was being pressed tightly, the chakra clung to her body, and some of it seemed familiar a memory tugged a the back of his mind, she was dangerous. A sort of madness peeked through the cracks, she was surpressing herself, her small habits and motions sealed, signifying the lack of emotions and perfect and utter control she had on her body which Itachi admired.

However, Itachi knew that she was a creature destined for something great, the aura that surrounded her, somewhat baffled him, he couldn't see a shred of compassion and love that women were famed to hold, no she was colder then stone, and that suited him jut fine. Itachi glanced down at the ring on his hand, these were designed to bring them all together as a single organization, helped them synch to each other. Itachi tried to reach through his link to the girl and knew that the rest were trying to get through the strong fortress that she locked within her mind.

Itachi knew within the body that stood before them Orochimaru's experiments and knowledge had been soaked into that young mind twisting it beyond recognition. Itachi could only imagine what she now knew and what her ambitions for joining the Akatsuki could be, she was a mystery, the hat added to that effect as well as the familiar that had snuck up on them without a warning. That had surprised Itachi, and at the same time he felt a fear, of her if she could control such familiars what else could she do?

Itachi couldn't see her eyes, so neither could he face her in his field of play, she was a mystery. Itachi watched as this foreign creature stalked up to them her head held high like a queens, for a moment he thought her saw her figure engulfed in flames, like a true queen of hell that was walking toward them, but Itachi knew better that was just an illusion. Her straw hat and veil covered her face, she wore something akin to a long robe, something that would be replaced by the Akatsuki emblem.

Underneath her could see the scrolls and the weapons that lined the inside and outside of her legs, Itachi, knew that she wasn't naïve, to approach the Akatsuki with that many weapons meant that she didn't trust them even a little bit. Itachi knew at least she would survive for that long. He turned away toward his room her had seen enough of this new comer he would figure her out within time, after all he had all of the time in the world. All he could do was wait, wait for his brother to finally kill him.

_(VV)_

"WHY!?" he asked loudly to the congregation of so called adults that sat before him and the rest of his generation. He saw Tsunade look away from him her face contorted in sadness. He turned a defiant eye on the elders who sat quietly in their seats, shame faced. "You've done something wrong and you know it. TELL US!" he roared to the group of adults among them was Kakashi who stood quietly in the back. A hand extended onto his shoulder and told him firmly, "Calm down Naruto." It was Sasuke, Naruto wanted to turn on him as well but knew better. Naruto wanted to brow beat this congregation until they buckled, as the sixth Hokage, he should have at least known what they had been planning.

Sasuke stepped in for him being the more negotiable counter part. "You know you've committed a wrong, and that wrong has been revealed to us. Yet, you have the gall to not tell us after the cards have been cast upon the table? Even if you are elders with more experience even a child could see the grave wrong you have committed." Naruto looked down to the floor trying to control his raging anger. He knew his claws were extending and fangs were beginning to show the blood that ran down his chin from biting it was proof enough. The smell of his blood permeated the room.

Sasuke kept a hand steady on his shoulder, a constant reminder to remain calm which he was struggling to do. He dug his nails into his skin his resolve made. He gently removed his best friends hand off of his shoulder. He had to make a choice, and he knew it wouldn't be a pretty one. This job wasn't for the weak hearted. Naruto knew by doing this he would destroy his image as the kind Hokage he had strived to live up to. However, for the best of Konoha he needed to know. "Sasuke." He said his voice changed to a toneless monotone, he knew that they room was surprised. To be frank he was too but he knew that if he didn't do this he could loose everything. He was tired of his friends being ripped away, and he would save Sakura like he had saved Sasuke no matter what the cost.

His best friend stepped up beside him. "Yes? Naruto?" Naruto looked at his sensei's his hokage his elders, and gave the command, "Have these people arrested and sent to Ibuki. He turned away, the deed was done. "ON WHAT GROUNDS?!" said a defiant elder. Naruto had by then reached the door. He looked back on them all rage spitting at them he knew his eyes had bled red, "Failure to cooperate as nin and citizens of Konoha."

"Wait! Naruto!" shouted Tsunade as she was taken by the arms toward the lower dungeons, Naruto had thought ahead and sapped them all of their strength. He blocked out her words. He would pry the story from them, even if it meant that they would never love each other again.


	3. Regrets and Broken Promises

Chapter 3

She stood at the mouth of the bigger caverns, she was used to the twisting and winding passages already knowing which rooms contained what. The first she would approach would be Deidra. She walked across the room too look out the window. She sat at the ledge the hat still obstructing her face. Close by were Deidra and Sasori who were arguing about art. She knew very well about these few spats that resulted in blood. She looked out and smiled to herself as she saw a butterfly wander in. She held up a hand and used the stillness of a tree to lure it to her finger.

She knew they were subconsciously watching her, and her actions would reflect on her personality. It was a brilliant blue butterfly, but she knew that that brightness made her mad, she hated the light and yet at the same time she coveted it lovingly. Purity the epitome of she used to be white like snow used to be her conscious despite the nin teachings and now that was all destroyed. She slowly shifted her hand into an open palm like a flower and the butterfly obediently crawled into the palm of her hand.

Without warning she closed her hand trapping it, she knew she had their attention and avid interest. She watched as the butterfly struggled in her grip, it was frantically trying to live on. She knew she could give them both a satisfactory answer and they would take interest in her and in time she could sow favors, all of it was part of her plan, every little action every little detail was her doing.

Without mercy she crushed it so finely that it turned into black and blue dust in her hands. She opened her palm and let the ashes of this once beautiful thing go into the air to fly free. She murmured nothing to the wind as if she were in deep thought. "Why?" said an innocent voice. She turned toward the two their eyes wondering their bodies betraying nothing. "Why what?" she asked quietly.

"Why did you crush the butterfly?" She looked up to the sky, keeping an eye on them. "Like the butterfly, life is fleeting, it had not died a peaceful life. That in itself is beautiful how a life can be taken away in a blur of colors in just one instant. However, like a memory I will always remember for eternity what I have done to an innocent soul. What I had done to change it and become an everlasting part of the earth destined to live forever, because of my one act.

" My name doesn't have to be known, but the things I do to the people even if my life flashes before my eyes and I die in one instant, those people will forever remember me. What I looked like and I will be immortalized, within this world."

She ran a hand across the alabaster stone that she sat on of the window ledge. She knew her every action captivated them every movement they had their eyes on. She looked into their eyes through her veil and smiled to herself knowing the feelings that had been planted into them were starting to. "Do you understand?" she asked it quietly and gently like a mother to her children. She knew she hit sore spots in doing so both had loved and lost their mothers to tragedy and sake for the country just like how Sakura had almost been lost. But she hadn't and now it was her turn to flip the tables.

Sakura stood, and delicately, "Yes, I would be immortalized like you Sasori through my stories alone, and I would like to go out like a bomb like you Deidra, that in itself is enough for me." She spread her arms like a saint of darkness. "It's the path I've chosen to walk, and the one I hope you will help me accomplish, through this coincidental meeting." On cue Ryuuren appeared at the door way bowed over. "I have more information for you My Lady." Sakura nodded and waved a good bye to the two akatsuki she had just talked to they were quiet but she knew they were brooding over what she had said.

She walked out the door way, she still had a long way to go but that didn't matter she had all the time in the world to pull this off.

_(VV)_

Sasuke pounded the desk with a force hard enough to break it in two, "Damn!" Sasuke closed his eyes, the elders and the rest had finally cracked under Ibuki's torture. The files had been handed over and those who used to be in charge had been put on probation. He ran his fingers through his raven black hair. It had been Naruto and Sakura who had risked everything to bring him back even in his blinded state. And he owed it to her to try and do the same.

He hadn't given up on his vendetta but he knew Itachi would show up sooner later with Naruto there in Konoha as the regent Hokage. Sasuke wanted to cry but he knew that it would do nothing to help the situation. Even so tears flowed from his eyes. What had she gone through those tormenting five years locked up with Orochimaru? What had she seen? What had she heard to make her such a way? He remembered when he saw her on the battle field. Once bright green eyes that greeted the day with a smile, cold and full of burning madness a childlike rage within them, her long pink hair flowed around her never getting tangled up with her legs. Her outfit that hugged her curvy figure splattered with the blood of his comrades.

But what Sasuke remembered most was the smile she had on. An innocent smiled struggling through a sea of pain. Even now Sasuke shuddered to even look at it. "Kami save her soul!" he asked the god in the sky. She had been done so much wrong. Her anger was only natural, "You don't have to forgive me, for asking you to wipe off your greatest creation on earth. Let me take her place in hell!" he even quieter. He beseeched the power in the sky to grant him this one favor god had owed him that much.

He knew that it was irrational to think this way that god would never grant his wish whether he had given him millions of sacrifices. But he had to try, because Sakura. An image of her turning toward him in a white dress, a fantasy locked within his mind. Yes, Sakura. He pictured her holding his hands when they had pulled him from the rubble, Sakura's concerned and stern tone that made him laugh. The Sakura whose ran her fingers through his hair when he was recovering. The Sakura who made him her clumsy onigiri when he was trying to rehabilitate himself, offering with uncomfortable words a snack, the commanding hospital nurse, the fast thinker able to outsmart Kakashi.

The mischievous angel who had Naruto as her partner in crime. Yes, and even now, Sasuke loved her, he wanted her to be happy. To find someone she loved it didn't matter if it wasn't him, it didn't matter if she had a short life, or if she went far away. As long as she was happy, as long as she could regain the ability to smile like the sun once more. Sasuke would be happy, happy for the rest of his days. "Grant me this one wish, you owe me that much." He said to no one as he collapsed against his desk uncontrollable tears streamed down his face.

He couldn't help it he loved, her. More then anything he loved her.

_(VV)_

Kakashi looked to the ceiling of his prison cell. All he could say was that he deserved it, and then some. He had aided in creating a monster, one even more powerful and crafty then the Nine-tailed beast. Why had he done it? Kakashi himself couldn't even remember. The guilt was pressing on him. Was this how his father felt when his peers looked on him with detest? He had destroyed her, Sakura one of his only pupils.

He had for a second time betrayed her. First it was to not attend to her needs as a growing shinobi leaving her alone as she trained alone. Second, he made a mistake that even the gods couldn't erase it. He had sent her on a simple greetings mission to the land of the Lightning on a three year mission to have alliance negotiations involving commerce. In reality they knew she was going to get captured by Orochimaru. They needed to divert his attention from Sasuke. Sakura had become the most logical choice.

Being powerful and single, meant that no family would pursue for her. With Naurto and Sasuke blind to the facts they could keep this all under the wraps until they knew that Sasuke would always stay in Konoha would they let them go and get Sakura. To the village Sasuke was a much more powerful power then Sakura therefore she wasn't as needed. Kakashi knew that his decision was partially the fault of himself lying in that all women were weak and what Konoha needed was a man, not only that but the last sole survivor of the Uchiha clan over Sakura who had no social standing.

He had made a mistake and he knew he would be paying for it for the rest of his life. Unlike his father he would face it all and take his punishment. He should have never favored he should have done the right thing and try their hardest to fight for the three to stay together, and now Kakashi knew that Sakura would try with all of her newly obtained power to destroy everything he had tried to protect, it left him feeling empty inside.

He put a hand to his face, too bad, he didn't have that Icha Icha paradise book with him at very least he could have drowned these thoughts through fictional stories, but instead he lay there wallowing in those thoughts of guilt over the things he had done. But he deserved it and that was the most painful thing to him. He had betrayed another one close to him just like Obito, he had broken their promise yet again. Because, Sakura was just like Rin.


	4. Memories

Chapter 4

She dreamed of running through the trees, running for her life, on that fateful night. Yes she was reviewing the past, she knew it was a dream because she had been here before, those five years ago running frantically to get away from Orochimaru and his men. She had evaded them for three days straight using every trick in the nin book she knew and every one she could make up off the top of her head. She pushed herself beyond the limits of her body and yet she knew she couldn't slow down.

Sakura struggled to rip out of the dream as it shifted to a different setting, the screams that resonated through out her dream. The sights she saw those dreadful days. Fighting to be free, and failing only to be dragged back kicking and screaming from yet another bout of experimental shots, the blood, the pain, and the madness that threatened to take her body and soul whole. Those days she had tried to hold on frantically for the bits of humanity she had left. Even now, she hesitated over those memories, full of rape, torture, experiments and living everyday, torn between wanting to die and wanting to be saved by her friends.

The slow approach of Kabuto while she was nearly naked and defenseless chained to the wall, she remembered it all looking through her over grown hair, wary of his approach he and Orochimaru had already taken away her purity. She was no longer a virgin far from it. Within those five years she had gotten pregnant twice, but before her children got a chance to live and grow, they were experimented on, and soon after they died. Sakura struggled to block out such painful memories, she knew this was Kabuto and Orochimaru's doing, even if she had absorbed them they were still alive.

Living within her, the fathers of the two children she never got to know. Finally after struggling and struggling she broke free. Sakura found herself staring up at her ceiling. Tears stained her cheeks she blocked out the pain the swirling emotions more importantly the self hate. She sat up her over sized t-shirt hung about her. "Are you alright my lady?" asked Ryuuren. She looked to him. All hadn't been lost. Ryuuren contained the soul of her first child, the second had yet to be found. She held out her arms toward the dragon familiar, the soul that had been placed within a baby dragon just a couple years before.

"Come, Ryuuren." Willingly he came, he had treated her like a mother at most times when their standings didn't get in the way. "Did you have the dream again mother?" Sakura dragged in a raggedy breath in reply. She knew she would never be able to crawl out of the darkness she had fallen into. She stroked his soft hair, she pet it softly calming herself, gently she touched the small green-blue patches of scales that randomly littered his face and neck. Dragons matured fast, and Ryuuren she knew trained especially hard to be with her. Her son. The one person she loved, the one person that returned that love with no strings attached.

She wanted no one to touch her boy, her only child, and she was willing to wipe out all of humanity including her to create a world where he could live free, without having to become a familiar of some low human. "I love you mother." He hugged her and pushed his face into her breast. She loved him too, more then anything she would create a world where he could live with his dragon kin. She stroked his head softly she would give him a restart a place without humans to try and hunt him down, she would erase the evils from the world and give the pure world to her son "I'll get the world for you Ryuuren. Mom will give you the world."

_(VV)_

He didn't know what to think of the newcomer, she was mysterious with that white familiar of hers. However in such a short time she had won over Sasoir and Deidra. Itachi could see the rising admiration for the woman as she proved herself through her missions killing without mercy, letting the enemy suffer, unafraid to get down and dirty. In the interrogations room she was the one with the best imagination of torture.

It made Itachi incredibly curious to know what she had soaked up from Orochimaru's mind, no one had yet to see her face even Itachi. She back from a mans touch and yet was fine in her touching them freely. Quiet and sinister, somethings about her mesmerized Itachi, he didn't know what but she was like a magnet that pulled him in her direction whether he wanted to or not. He had a goal though and that was to get killed by Sasuke, He watched as she walked outside leaving Sasori and Deidra dazed yet again, he wondered what she said to move them as such.

Curious he walked out as well. He spotted her near a pond looking down at her reflection the veil still down. He knew she sensed him she was stupid no far from it it took quite the brain to take down Orochimaru. "Did you need something?" asked the voice that seemed to haunt the world. She seemed something that wasn't human anymore. "Show me your face." He said without much thought. She turned to him. "Why?" she questioned. He took a step forward careful not to display any hostile

For some reason this girl was terribly traumatized by the thought of a man touching her. Itachi didn't expect to be excluded from that fear. He took a step and she took one back even through the two foot difference. She had a dangerous edge and at the same time she smelled the same as him. He didn't step closer in fear that she would flee. She was fragile inside that much he could see. But she was distorted with hate and bitter memories, she was so pure compared to him. "I merely wish to see the face of my teammate." He said reasonably.

Unexpectedly she reached up to cup his face. The hat tipped up to allow her to look at him. Through it he could distinguish a few features under that thick disguise. Her hair was pink her eyes green filled with swirling emotions restless and fleeting like a dragon in flight. She knew she was staring into his soul searching for something. Those wide child-like eyes stared at him all of her being bore down on him sucking his breath away.

Just as suddenly she pulled away leaving only her scent of Sakura blossoms. Her hands disappeared into those long akatsuki sleeves. Itachi took a step back she had been slightly tensed and something told him to step away and be gentle. He didn't know why but he wanted for her to like him, already he could feel a bond being established. He watched as she took ahold of her veil after much consideration and lifted it giving way to her elfin features. Her eyes filled with those torrent emotions like a raging river, so complex and confusing as if she were thinking more then a mile a minute. "You're beautiful." He told her softly making no move to touch her. They stood as the wind stirred rustling their clothes.

Those eyes turned blank, her expression never changed, those eyes spoke of so many things so hard to interpret. "Thank you." She said softly as she pulled a loose strand of hair behind her ears with the rest of her hair that hung round her. She dropped the veil her face going out of sight. "Thank you very much."

_(VV)_

Ino sat in the hospital ward, wondering what had went wrong? When had Sakura had the time to change like that? What had happened? To the point that she would play with her enemies traumatizing them then letting them live with that fear? Even now Ino knew she would never look at her power as part of the Yamanaka family the same ever again. What Sakura had done to her had scared her not only that but her body was beyond repair, but the question that was on her mind had been. Why? Why had she done this?

On the battle field Ino had feared Sakura she had changed from that strong girl with a great personality, to a woman she didn't know, into someone Ino feared, there was something there that chilled her to the bone. She didn't know if it was that look in her eye when she crushed Lee's leg, or when she sent that genjutsu to her that would haunt Ino until the end of time. The screams the experiments. The torture of being under Orochimaru and Kabuto over and over, the loss of a children of her own blood stuck between living and dead.

Ino had nightmares about it, but the more she thought about it the more she began to understand. Sakuras power was extremely unstable it meant her mind wasn't really in the right place. She could have unintentionally lashed out at Ino while she had been trying to take control of her body when Tsunade was trying to negotiate with her.

The more she thought on the subject the more she began to understand. The more she wanted to block out. "Oh…My God!" she said softly she began to sob into her hands. That wasn't a genjutsu, it was Sakura's own memories. It made sense now, what Sakura had seen while she had been trapped in that living hell for five years while Ino and the others were happily slurping at Ramen. Sakura had been alone all of that time, all of it she had to endure alone. Ino couldn't even imagine, how long Sakura tried to save her humanity how much she began to resent them.

Ino had been there when Sakura boldly stated that she wanted to " destroy the world" She balled herself up despite her injuries. No wonder she hated them all though they hadn't known. They should have suspected something when Tsunade only recited her letters the impersonal tones that varied the letters. They were all just really happy to receive a letter from her that they didn't question it.

That didn't help the fact though, that they hadn't tried to look for her while she suffered something worse then death. She cried freely even as the nurses came in. All of the pain that Sakura bore was now ingrained into her mind. All of those memories thoughts of suicide, hopes that someone would save her one day. Absorbing Orochimaru, and Kabuto. How did she feel? Ino wondered. How did she feel when the villagers and nin greeted her as if she were just coming back? Ino knew why now, why her best friend had turned out that way.

Ino cried harder the sobs came down upon her harder and harder. Someone had to cry for her best friend. And that someone would be her.


	5. Cut from the same Cloth

Chapter 5

Sakura put a fist straight through the ribcage ripping out the human heart that had been residing there. It still beat still thinking it was part of the body. She looked down at it closing her eyes she didn't know why she ripped out the heart but she guessed she wanted to feel one, she opened her palm up looking at it beat still in her heart. She heard the body thump to the ground. She looked at the heart in a detached manner. She wondered if in a way had her heart been this way as well?

Beating, lively despite the years in imprisonment? If that was so what was she now? Now that she had caste of the chains of humanity and became a monstrosity destined to haunt the world forever? Had she become a ghost with no existence but to scare children at night? Would she remembered as the person who had been the angel of Konoha? Or the woman who wanted to destroy the world? She could only guess. Having no more use for the heart she wrapped it in leaves and sent it down a nearby stream.

She knew that this person she had killed would have wanted to see the world, and at very least all she could do was set his heart free. She looked down at the body that lay beside her, it had been a spy for the Sunagakure village, she would go there first to begin her plan. More then anything she wanted to die and let her decrepit spirit make its way to hell where she would blend in with everyone else. At very least she knew that she wouldn't be the worst one there.

She turned to her newest partner, Itachi, from what she knew she thought him as a pure soul. He had only done what he was commanded to do, that was all and he was ready to repent by letting the circle come full close and let his brother kill him. She had began to like him, he was a kindred spirit in this lonely world full of quiet suffering. She reached into her pouch and took out her calling card a handful of Sakura petals and spread them over the dead body. Not only did she honor the body that she had killed but it warned people that she wasn't going stop she would always be a constant threat and that was never going to change.

They were now headed to Suna now she had some business with Deidra there, she had gotten permission from the leader to do as she pleased. She passed by him, their hands barely brushing but some how she found comfort that he didn't flinch from her touch, even though she was a monster. Yes a monster, someone who didn't believe in love of others aside from her son. But Itachi was different his soul she thought was white, no matter what sin he would have committed in this life. Somehow Sakura knew that he would never be sent to hell for what he had done.

She was sure that a long time ago he had cried for his family, for his brother, for himself. Sakura however couldn't summon the feelings of regret for what she had done. She had truly discarded her heart. She hated herself, detested herself, to the point where self infliction wasn't new. She hid her injuries behind her heavy disguise. Like she hid her face from the world, like she hid her past from the world, and her feelings and everything with it.

_(VV)_

Neji held Tenten close, his love for her would never die, like the stars among the sky. She lay whimpering in his arms, her own wounds still healing like his hands. He knew that he would never be as good as he had been before, but that was a trivial matter now. He ran his bandaged fingers through her soft silken hair. His Tenten, she hugged him closer her night mares trying to take her over, he wanted to save her from the dream but knew that she wouldn't wake, and even if he tried he knew she would dream it later when he wasn't there to be beside her.

He knew these memories would never be forgotten, the dreams would never go away, and he knew that they needed to grow into them only then could they continue to move forward. He thought on their used- to-be comrade, the day they had to face her the day she had desolated them all. He saw madness in her eyes fury of the world, but he saw hurt in her chakra signature said it all, the way it fluctuated the way it blew around her the color of sorrow.

He understood what she felt, betrayal, of her loved ones, like the betrayal he had felt towards the main house for some time. Only now had he gotten over it when Naruto intervened and Tenten was there to help him through everything. He could understand her feelings and relate, for he had been in the same situation, but hers however was on a much greater scale. Neji knew that she resented the world. For him it had been the family the bane of his existence, he had tried to snuff it out by trying to take out Hinata all of those years ago.

Sakura he knew was trying to do the same, only she had no one strong enough to intervene, no one to save her from that engulfing darkness that was sapping at her humanity. Neji knew all to well what was going through her head. He held Tenten as best he could his fingers gave off a small throb causing him momentary discomfort. Tenten shivered in his grip despite the many haoris he had put onto her, they were planning to get married in the spring but that was now compromised.

That didn't matter though he knew they would in time get married, Tenten was after all pregnant with his child, it was her he worried about the most on the battle field and he knew they were all lucky to be alive. Sakura had taken pity on them and he thanked the gods up there for that, because he would have never forgiven himself if his future wife and child died before his eyes. Neji held them close in his arms Tenten stopped shivering and settled hugging him closer in her sleep. Once more he ran his stiff fingers through her soft hair, hoping that this would all be resolved, knowing that Naruto would do anything for the protection of the village.

After all it took dedication and will to break your feelings and send the people you love to the torture chamber.

_(VV)_

He wondered if he was allowed to hug her, engulf her, bury her with his being. He looked at her profile from behind, he back silently screaming for someone to kill her and send her to the other world. He wanted to hug her, and take away that sadness, but he didn't know what feeling this meant. He had detached himself from the necessity of being human for his brothers sake, to make sure that Sasuke was justified in killing him, it was after all easier to kill a monster rather then a living breathing man with feelings.

Itachi pulled up beside her, and gently he took her hand in hers, a silent comfort between kindred spirits. A bond that only people with their experiences could share, a history only the two of them shared, of being people from the same village. He didn't say anything, neither did she, but neither did she pull away to leave him feeling alone. He had condemned himself, he wanted to die more then anything, and he knew that she felt the same. What right did he have to try and take that away from her when he wished for the exact same thing?

He knew she mourned, for what he didn't know, but she mourned just as he did for all of the sins he had committed against the world. To him Sakura was a sun who didn't know her own brilliance, compared to him who was blacker then a moonless night. She had been betrayed, stabbed in the back, and as a result it had turned her to hate the world. For some reason he knew her objective, she spoke of her motives in between the lines, and for some reason he knew that the others were beginning to catch on.

Itachi watched and scanned the surroundings, a flash of white went across the corner of his eye but he knew that Sakura's familiar had been trailing them. For reasons he didn't know, it seemed that he was worried for his master. Itachi didn't ask, he didn't want to know. He knew that the more they knew about each other the more they would begin to care, the more he would feel the need to stay attached to the world. He knew that Sakura understood this as well, she didn't say anything about her life, all of him and he rest knew was the bare facts, nor did anyone of them ask. That information was free to give never would they force an answer, because everyone had things they didn't want to share.

Everyone had something they wanted to hide, Itachi was no different, and neither was Sakura. So he said nothing, and neither did she, all they merely did was confirm the fact that they were still alive, through the feel of each others hand. Reminding each other why they stayed on earth although everything had been forsaken, everything had been taken away. Silently comforting each other to stay just a bit longer, and let their plans go as planned. She gently gripped his hand tighter as if she were fighting with herself. Just as Itachi had always done, always in an internal battle to stave away the sadness, and the pressing emotions that threatened to smother, and think clearly. Every minute, every second Itachi knew they were both silently fighting the world trying to live just a bit longer, even if it were one more day, or one more hour for the sake of their personal mission.

For the sake of their teetering sanity.


	6. A Pure White soul

Chapter 6

Sakura sat across from him the fire blazing, its fiery flames burning brightly even though its only use would be to keep them warm and ward off pesky animals. She looked into the fire through her veil, trying to suppress, he fluctuating emotions, it took so much to hate, it took so much to feel. Beside her lay her kunai glinting temptingly in the firelight, beckoning her to use them on her very own flesh. But she was in his presence. She glanced at him he too was staring into the fire, she wondered if he was thinking th same thing? If he was trying to comb through his own feelings trying and fighting to stay sane like her?

She already knew that answer to that. Whether she or he wanted to face it or not. They were both human, on the outside they portrayed themselves as the undead, the cruel and unjust in the world, but inside she knew they were both human. She knew that everyone in the akatsuki was human, everyone had their own way of coping with these feelings. Sasori in turning himself into a puppet, Deidra and his bombs, Hidan and his rituals, Kisame and his drinks. She knew that all of them carried an inner sadness all of which all of them didn't want to face.

Sakura felt the rage pass and she slipped into cool resignation, she was ready for death, not only that but that's what she wanted the most, and she knew she couldn't wait for the day that someone would kill her, she knew by destroying the world she would destroy herself as well and she would die. That was just fine. She drew the symbol of her former village in the sand and slashed it reminding herself she could and wouldn't go back. No matter how much she was in pain no matter what. She closed her eyes she wanted more time with Ryuuren, more time to love him, more time to hug him.

But she knew that that was impossible she knew that very well. She opened her eyes as Itachi got up and walked over to her, he looked at her with his coal colored eyes. Slowly making his every move deliberate, as to tell her he meant to harm, he reached for her veil and lifted it. She stared up at him, his eyes lacked the will to live just as much as hers. She reached up and pulled his face closer to hers letting their lips touch in the softest of manners. He was another her, she had come to this conclusion a long time ago. He was an innocent a soul pure white to hers, stained with nothing.

Gently he brought himself down to her level, gently he held her close. That tenderness he showed to only her, both spurned her forward, and made her tremble in fear. A relationship was something she couldn't afford and neither could he. Yet she let him progress, she let him probe her body, touch it and covet it. Although, they couldn't hold a loving relationship she wanted his purity, that blinding brightness that she considered was his soul. She let him love her, give her pleasure that was a physical relationship. It didn't matter if he loved her, it didn't matter if he hated her. All she wanted now was the brightness he had within himself.

More then anything she wanted to be cleansed.

_(VV)_

Itachi touched her gently, she made no complaint, she made no remarks, only lay obediently beneath him. She didn't cry out, she didn't make a sound, but neither did he. Even so Itachi could feel her. He could feel her as she hugged him close to her body, never afraid of his touch. She was fragile, and he knew haltingly that he was too. He breathed in the scent of cherry blossoms and it reminded him of why he was alive. He felt a door open that wasn't supposed to he knew from the moment he saw her standing there forlorn half hidden in the shadows of the akatsuki entrance cave, that he loved her.

He knew though that he could never say it out loud, he didn't have the right to take away her will to die, nor could he bring himself to say it aloud lest it derail him from his personal wish to die. Even so he knew he loved her, and it would be cruel to tell her, because even if he did love her, he owed it more to Sasuke to die by his brothers hand.

_(VV)_

Ryuuren approached the camp, knowing that by now the mother of his previous life was asleep in the arms of her partner. He appeared from across the fire facing the black haired man known as Itachi holding his mother in his lap, her face neutral like always in her sleep. Only this time to his relief tears did not stain her face. He looked the man in the eyes and asked, "If you had been planning to die all along why did you touch my lady?" He watched as the man looked down, to Ryuurens mother, "Because I understand her pain and she understands mine."

Ryuuren nodded at the answer. He looked down at the woman that had been his mother for only a short time even so he remembered it vividly. She had given birth to him alone and silently in case of raising an alarm. She had given birth to him in that cold cell, she had wrapped him in the only blanket she had and cleaned him with the best she could find. It was only a short while but she had loved her, despite him being the child of a person she hated so much. She had fought for him, gotten severely hurt for him. She had hidden him for as long as she could, although it had been only a couple of days she hid him as best she could. But when those two men found out, she fought for him, and protected him until she was reduced to nothing but a bleeding pile of broken bones, even then she tried to keep him safe. Even now he knew, that she still suffered major injuries, but with the combined chakra of those within her kept her body movable.

Although he had only lived for that short month, his dragon abilities allowed him to remember it all. Her defiant screams for him as he was taken away and cruelly killed. As a spirit he could remember her sobs as she mourned for him even though she had known him for only a short time. Then she had summoned him once again to be reunited. He loved her, maybe in a more improper way then what a son was supposed to. But that was only natural even if he had the soul of her former son he was a different person, unrelated to her. But he knew she could only see him as her child, so a child he would remain if only it were to please, her and keep her here for just a bit longer.

He walked forward and took his sleeping mother into his arms away from the mans grasp, Ryuuren knew that she didn't want to wake up in Itachis arms, she didn't want to get attached. Carefully he took her up along with her clothing ready to run her to the nearest spring to help her clean off. He looked to the man on the ground who looked up at him his eyes as dead as his mothers, they were two of a kind and Ryuuren knew he could never compete with that. He bowed slightly to the man and ran into the trees toward the nearby spring.

It steamed, blurring his vision, gently he set he down in the water knowing that she wouldn't drown, her chakra naturally kept her afloat. He watched as her hair fanned out around her, she slowly opened her eyes to the stars to stare at them. He didn't know what she was thinking, in those shadowed eyes, he knew that she wanted to destroy all of humanity, although she knew that it would never become true. He stepped respectfully back as she stood in the water and cleaned herself off.

She was trying to destroy the world even though she knew that, that wish would never become true. He looked at her, all he could do was hope that she found happiness even if it was small, he hoped more then anything for her to be happy. He took one of her hands leading her out of the steamy bath giving a towel to dry herself. Yes, because Ryuuren believed that she off all people deserved to be happy.

_(VV)_

Gaara looked on to the horizon, it had finally appeared. He knew that Konoha would befall something terrible all of that power amassed in one place was not good, although it made them stronger it didn't make them safer. He knew that the moment he saw the trio, once again, all of them powerful, and the difference in being treat was severe, severe enough for something or someone to break that fragile trust and throw Konoha to chaos. The part Gaara pitied was the fact that it had been Sakura, and that Konoha had no one to blame but themselves.

Gaara tipped his kazekage hat back so he could get a better view of the red horizon sinking over the sands of Sunagakure, he knew that a team from Konoha was on their way to warn him and offer protection which by the laws of the treaty he would accept, there was no other way. He closed his eyes never letting sleep over come him, never letting awareness slip, an old habit when he had still been a Jinchuuriki. He felt the fast approaching chakra's, somehow he knew that Naruto would come, Naruto one of his only kindred spirits.

He didn't raise the alarm as he felt Naruto's chakra bolt right towards him. He opened his eyes to see Naruto skid to a stop just behind him kneeling. He wore a long robe covering an anbu's outfit. "Its been a while Naruto." "You know why I'm here don't you Gaara." It was said as a statement. Gaara looked to the corner of his eyes to look at the lonely profile that was an old friend. He looked back to the horizon knowing very well what his duty was. "Yes. I'll follow you wherever Naruto. I owe you that much." He listened as his friend with his immense chakra, repressed it into nothingness, like a true shinobi. Slowly he stood, Gaara spotted Naruto's safety entourage in the distance.

Naruto had wanted a moment alone with him. "Are you sure about this though?" Gaara asked, knowing very well what Sakura had meant to the blonde, Hokage. He heard Narutos fists and teeth clenched, then relax in resignation. Gaara looked on sadly as he heard the drastic voice change from full of passion to that of a dying soul. "I have no choice." Gaara looked down knowing what Naruto had meant. It may have been a different village but Gaara knew exactly what had happened, everything he knew was out in the open, Gaara knew the pressing loneliness that Naruto felt.

Just like when Gaara had to kill his beloved uncle. Naruto had to put an end to his best friend. Gaara pictured the kind girl who had removed the poison from Kankuro's body, the girl who had went through the mystic depths to save him from the clutches of the akatsuki. Gaara turned and put a hand to Narutos, shoulder he knew that the man was on the verge of tears. Gaara knew that those tears would be inevitable, that was just how important Sakura had been in his life. Gaara embraced his fellow Kage in a brotherly hug, an act he rarely did. Gaara looked into Narutos, eyes he owed Naruto his life, after all he had fought so valiantly to bring him back to his people here in Sunagakure.

"We'll fight with you all the way Naruto, and we wont rest until we've gotten that goal accomplished." He felt Naruto stiffen under his grip, Gaara knew that he had matured over the years. What had those years away from one of his best friends and his first crush do to him? A question Gaara knew to leave untouched. He had to think of Sakura as just an objective. Because this time, she was the enemy.


	7. Acceptance that was never granted

Chapter 7

She jumped from tree to tree following Itachi through the dense canopies, they were coming up to Sunagakure, she vaguely remembered being there healing, and saving trying to pass herself off as a saint, trying to hold the world upon her shoulders. She remembered so clearly the pure and idealistic self she had been, all of it though was gone. All of her emotions had died off along with her older self, when she had been condemned to a cold hell devoid of emotion.

The memories passed through her head silently, she continued to numb herself until she saw it from a different persons point of view. She didn't want to remember but she knew that it was pointless to try and erase the past. Pointless to forget in fear of repeating it again, so she watched the story of her life, and continued to move forward. Carefully she sank herself deep into her mind where no other emotion could affedt her she wouldn't allow herself to weaken, wouldn't allow herself to be moved by the actions and words of others.

She slowed to a stop as Itachi planted his feet firmly in the ground as they overlooked a valley of desert. A place Sakura felt was akin to her own heart. She was a days travel from Deidra, a day away from her ultimate desire, because she knew that very soon her plan would be set into motion. She would hit them all so fast, that none of them ever saw it coming.

_(VV)_

Itachi looked at her lone figure as it contrasted with the light of the moon, she had zipped up her coat the farthest it could go, without the veil all he could see were the edge of her brilliant pink hair, the beginning of her white skin and her dark emerald green eyes that looked up at the world as if it were her last, full of longing full of hate. "Why do you stare at the sky?" he asked as he leaned against the rock they had decided to take shelter at. She didn't turn to look at him, she didn't say a word, and for a while he thought she wouldn't until she said.

"Because, before I used to look up at it and think 'if only I could fly like a bird in a sky and truly been free, if only they would let me out of this cage. How happy I would be if that wish were to be granted.'" Itachi knew she spoke of the time with Orochimaru, "But now I know better, that the sky would never accept me, god has never loved me. I should never hope to fly for if I do, only pain will result of it."

Itachi closed his eyes as she talked, he knew the feeling those times when he had been stuck in council meetings with the elders, those time he was stuck training told that he was an heir and therefore didn't play. He remembered it the clearest when the village elders commanded him to slaughter his family. He had been bound by duty, doomed to kill those he loved, and even now he knew that he too would never reach those distant skies.

He opened his eyes to see himself looking into an ocean of green. "You know of what I speak don't you?" she asked her voice held a tint of pleading, as if trying to find one who would try to understand her. Itachi nodded. He pulled her into a hug. He knew that his love with her was only beginning to blossom within himself and herself, but he knew that this wouldn't stop them from wanting to die. "I know." He said as he hugged her loosely as she gently settled in his lap, between his legs. "Yes, you do… So will you come with me?" she asked, her voice bold showing no hint of weakness Itachi knew she held deep within herself. "You know what I wish for don't you?" he asked She nodded into his coat and he looked up into the sky, he felt whole, for once he felt whole.

"Then I will accompany you, if you can give me what I want." Itachi looked up at the moon so high in the sky, and the night landscaped around them, this was truly the only place for souls like them to reside, forever in the dark, blending in with the darkness of the night. Itachi felt his face being cupped by cool white hands, and he looked down to her. "That wish I would gladly grant." Itachi knew that she understood and felt peace in why he would die, together with her, even if their love was only blossoming even if it were fake, neither wanted to be alone, not again.

He held no hopes of living and neither did she, they understood enough about each other to not try and convince the other to live. They would make that journey to the other side together, in that he found solace.

_(VV)_

He looked down at the pool of water before him, showing him a clear picture, of his mother and Itachi, he knew what they thought, and their minds were in synch. That's right they were to die together the only for them to be set free from fates cruel cycle. Ryuuren, looked down at them at the two white souls that glowed before him, the two that had suffered so much, and yet they remained a pure white, their central cores were processing as one, like the cycle of yin and yang, only the two were both white, destined to stay forever.

That's right he would aid them in being set free, he would help them be happy, he owed his mother that much. He touched the smooth surface of the water disturbing the image casting a spell of sweet dreams and resolve, yes he would guide them all that way, and when that time came he would lead them to the other side, where they may reside together for the end of time, never to be touched by fates cruel hand ever again.

_(VV)_

Sai stood beside Naruto, his anbu mask placed respectfully on. He had, due to Sakura and Naruto's efforts gained an understanding of the world around him, no longer was her the unfeeling killing machine, no longer could he process such fake emotions. Sai knew what they were going to do now, and he knew it was the greatest mercy they could grant his first crush. He knew that he stay in the same boat as many of the other Konoha men, they couldn't help it, after all Sakura had touch so many lives, and patiently stood by their side through thick and thin.

He watched as blue eyes turned to him, automatically he kneeled before the Hokage, head respectfully bowed. "Secure the area, make sure the citizens are safe." Sai nodded numbly and poofed out of the Hokage's sight. Although he knew what Naruto was going through, although he knew how hard it was to make such a decision, although he knew how much Naruto loved Sakura. Sai resented him, he imaginge the girl who splinted his arms with the deadly spider, the girl who taught him slowly through emotions, even the times when he had called her ugly. He had loved them all, and he wanted to believe that somewhere within the darkness that had consumed her the old Sakura remained.

He reverently hoped that she would come to her senses and embrace Konoha, that she would come back to them and say the was sorry and remain with them forever. He knew though that those were just hopes in a useless dream. She wasn't coming back despite what he wanted to believe. She was too far gone, bent on destruction. She was a threat, and the battle before was living proof. Sai knew that it was useless to hope, and mourn after her just like he had done so for so long, when he was with his adopted brother.

But despite everything he already knew, he could only hope that she would come back, and live with them in that fairytale world once more.


	8. Beginning of the end

Chapter 8

She strode up to Deidra who stood his face solemn a contrast to what he usually wore, she knew that he had half of her plan guessed but didn't know that part of her dying and betraying. "Are the preparations ready?" she asked softly but loud enough for him as well as the rest to hear. No one answered and Deidra solemnly nodded a yes. "Good." She said satisfied. "Now. How do I link myself to these bombs? To the point that they would detonate if I die?" She watched as Diedra took a step closer but she did not fidget. "Since its my blood they react to and my mouths that have created them. If I kiss you and you swallow my blood along with it that should complete it. With the help of Hidan and his rituals it will bind us. So that if anyone of us dies, we go out with a bang, across the country."

She nodded, she watched as he bit himself and sucked a mouthful of blood, into his mouth. Gently Sakura pushed off the hat that held the veil that had shielded her face for so long. She heard a sharp intake as she looked up into Deidra's eyes. "Just a kiss right?" He didn't reply, carefully she put her hands to his cheeks and pulled him down to her an act that she had perfected, all of those days in imprisonment to simply make the beatings less severe.

She brought her lips numbly up to him and began to suck the blood from his mouth into hers swallowing it with ease. She had learned to block anything out as long as she tried. She pulled away wiping away the blood that he leaked from her mouth. She looked up at Deidra, who stood there amazed, she knew her looked had changed, she was a bit more graceful due to Orochimaru's body but quicker because of Kabuto, all of them rolled into her being a perfect women in the eyes of men. "Does it work?" she asked.

He said nothing. "Shall we test it?" she asked, them all. Reluctantly they nodded, she felt Itachi take a step back behind her, she had let him in on the plan. She had Deidra plant bombs in Suna, Kisame in Rain country, Tobi in Konoha, and she had planted bombs in the Akatsuki lair, she planned to take all of it with her. She looked into Deidra's eyes careful as to not alert him. "What do you think?" He nodded to her. Sakura closed her eyes then opened them letting her powers accumulate in the specified parts of her body. In the blink of an eye to fast for even the akatsuki could see she cut Deidra down, he fell to the ground in shock.

She heard the resounding booms of the nearby village as proof, it was time for her plan to be set in motion.

_(VV)_

Itachi activated his sharigan and began to attack the other members they were the keys to the destruction of the world and the perfect bait to lure Sasuke out. Itachi took on the oncoming akatsuki fending them all off he was living to be killed by just one person, and that person was his brother. He watched as Sakura faired as well as he did releasing all of her power downing one by one through fast and underhanded tactics, ripping out hearts shocking through clones. Efficiently using her chakra, making sure that none were left alive.

By erasing the akatsuki from the world they hoped for a reformation, to give something to the world before they in turn ended themselves. They weren't out to be heroes they knew that the sins they had committed and gave into would never disappear. At very least though they would rid the world of the long opposition of the akatsuki, and then maybe one day they would find their way to heaven once they had suffered long enough in the pits of hell. Then maybe they would be forgiven. He slashed into Kisame's side bringing him into the world of Tsukiyomi, knowing very well that Sakura would cover him while he stayed in that little world of his own.

Easily he killed the shark easily reaching into the inner most secrets of his mind and tearing them out playing them over and over before the shark man to see, until finally Itachi saw the familiar deadening of the eyes. Itachi had driven his old partner into the confines of his mind where Itachi knew he would stay even if his life were in danger. In this world he stabbed Kisame through the heart, killing him easily. It was all to easy, it always was when you had power like Itachi had, it was easy killing this man before him, like the many he had killed before. It had had been easy for Itachi to kill, it would be for everyone as well, after all killing became easier when you killed your heart.

It became necessary to kill your heart, when you killed the ones dearest to it. Numbly he cut through body to body, never pausing never hesitating, up until now, Itachi had lived to kill. He had lived to kill in hope that someway god would come to hate him enough to send his brother against him. Itachi knew that he and Sakura were the same. They were ghosts, with no existence. No one loved them, no one was saving a place for them to return, all they had was each other and themselves. Everything they did Itachi realized was in synch, their goals, their manners, and their darkened lights.

They lived to be killed, they wanted to be saved, but knew that the possibility of it was never to come true. They were phantoms who walked the earth unloved, until they found each other, and they were determined to end it together, forever. In hopes that they may never reawake in the world, buried in the deepest level of hell where they could blend and live in a maybe relative happiness that they weren't the worst souls. Itachi pulled himself out of his world into reality, and watched his opponent fall, he looked to Sakura who held Sasori's beating heart in her hands looking at it like she was trying to find an answer.

Itachi knew what she was doing, she was reflecting and questioning her own humanity. Just as he had done so long ago, he watched as Sasori's body moved slowly reaching up toward the heart in her hand, and she looked down at the both of them in amazement. He knew what she was thinking, were they wrong? Wrong to take away their lives, although they had killed so many? Were they wrong to take away the lives that people reverently wished for? Itachi closed his eyes he didn't need to be a mind reader to read her mind, they were on the same length cut from the same cloth. He knew she thought this wasn't fair. He opened his eyes to see her crush the heart into dust, just like she had done with the blue butterfly, as Sasori was a cm away from her hand.

They both watched as the former puppet master fell to the floor, finally dead after his second resurrection. Itachi observed her, and knew that she too had a numb heart, and no matter how long she pondered Itachi knew that she wouldn't return with that sort of mercy ever again. They both knew it was for the weak, they both knew that to be merciful, you had to love life, to be merciful your soul had to be a pure white.

He closed her eyes and approached her bringing her into a warm embrace. He reassured her, he was her strength, in that moment he knew that they would always be together even in death. Shakily her hands came up to clamp his arms and keep his around her neck, she buried her face into his long akatsuki sleeves. The wind blew around them to warn them, and to remind them of their remaining time and the missions they had to get done.

Chakra's came fast approaching neither of them bothered to hide it, not when they both knew that it was what they wished for. Even so they stood a bit longer memorizing their solid and loved forms together for what could be the last time. By now the bombs would have all gone off, all for hers and his, which had been placed within Danzo's ROOT organization and the Uchiha compound. Itachi knew by doing this Sasuke would have to rebuild it and restart anew.

She pulled away from him after a few seconds he knew it wasn't out of coldness but out of necessity. She looked up at him with her green darkened eyes, and cupped his cheek. He complied and leaned down toward her face. She gave him a kiss on the lips deep but quick, their time together only a few second longer, the chakras were getting closer. She looked up at him once again and said quietly her parting words, "I'll see you on the other side." Then she was gone in a flutter of Sakura petals. Quietly he whispered the words back to her knowing that she wouldn't hear. He turned to face his assigned foe. "Yes, we'll meet again. On the other side." He closed his eyes for a moment gathering power, and opened them sure that they were charged with sharingan to look at the same whirring eyes. Full of hate, full of pain, full of misery, Itachi felt a wave of nostalgia.

Finally, his last moment, and all of it was to end by the hands of his brother.


	9. Monster against a Monster

Chapter 10

She didn't feel out of breath, she had to thank the Kabuto within who aided her in that department. She was faster then she normally was, and she had Orochimaru to thank for it all. But she however didn't thank them she had them to curse, they were the bane of her existence. Not only that but they lived within her, and she loved to hurt them whenever she could. The wounds that Naruto put on her felt somewhat good, if it meant she could hurt them as well. She was willing to go through anything. She punched the ground where Naruto used to be upsetting it within a twenty foot radius.

She felt around for his presence barely dodging a scorching scratch for his claws as he tried to tackle her from behind. It ripped through the fabric, as the smell of burning flesh penetrated the air. But she didn't mind, at this moment she was fighting to die, they only question was, was he up to the challenge? She couldn't just die like that, and nor could she make him stop fighting her. She slashed a clawed hand toward his face while he stealthily dodged and appeared behind her. She hooked a foot in his and yanked slamming him to the ground only to find a substitution.

She looked around to spot. Ryuuren waiting and watching in a nearby tree. He would warn her when Itachi began to waver. She kicked Naruto in the face as he attempted to hit her with a rasengan. He would have to do better to beat her, yes much better. She did a second summoning jutsu, bringing a dragon familiar to the field, it was time to pull the stakes up a notch.

_(VV)_

Itachi watched as Sasuke rushed at him, he had gotten better he was able to completely block out Itachi's Tsukiyomi, he had even progressed by pulling a new technique Itachi had never seen an Uchiha do before and that was pull out a dimension to try and suck him in. Itachi had almost lost a leg to that one. It had made Itachi a bit happy to see that Sasuke was beginning to surpass him. It made him a bit sad that soon this would all end.

He dodges a handful of fast flying shuriken, offsetting a few of his own. He wanted to worry about Sakura but knew she could handle herself. He knew that she would fight until her last breath and still try to get over to him. She had said she would find him once the battle was over and not to die before then. That was fine, he would try his hardest to live in these circumstances. Detachedly Itachi felt a kunai barely graze his jugular vein. Itachi threw toward his brother a giant fire ball an element the Uchiha were known for using.

Itachi watched as Sasuke's alleged 'curse mark' make its way across his pale skin, highlighting his whirling red sharingan eyes. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment the strain on them was beginning to hurt a bit. He opened his eyes to see his brother huffing and breathing heavily, Itachi was beginning to feel tired as well, but he kept his breathing steady and even. Before him stood his brother, the new generation the one to restore the clan to its former glory, and even farther, under Sasukes reign Itachi knew that this problem wouldn't arise again.

Itachi knew that his brother would set that little part of the world right. Itachi had always loved his brother, he had always missed the child who willingly fell asleep beside him, unafraid and unshaken by his seemingly 'malevolent' presence. Itachi remembered so many things about the young man who now stood before him. Running his fingers through that wild hair, that mother had often compared to a chickens. Teaching the child how to set up traps and throw kunai. Yes, in those days. To Itachi Sasuke was the sunlight in his dark existence, the child who would give him a smile, the one person beside mother who didn't flinch at his touch.

Itachi wanted more then anything to erase himself so that his brother couldn't suffer anymore, so that he could live in that small world that Itachi had built for him. Itachi wished that Sasuke would be happy. Itachi watched as Sasuke began to transform. Itachi knew that this was the greatest thing he didn't like about what ITachi had done to his brother. He had pushed him to the point where he would submit himself to a curse mark. If only Itachi had been there to push away Orochimaru, of only that then Sasuke could have been spared the painful separation. Itachi watched as Sasuke spread those claw like wings, and his fangs grow, Itachi had created a monster.

Itachi whirled away from the incoming chidori punch, not expecting the attack to disperse from Sasukes hand landing a direct hit in his back. Itachi felt blood run from the back of his throat to the opening of his mouth as he jumped far away. He threw a knife toward Sasuke knowing that… this was the end of the line. He knew that he couldn't… no he could hold off Sasuke longer, but the fact of the matter was that he no longer wanted to. He closed his eyes, he was tired of this. Itachi turned midair facing the direction that Sakura went and sent up a flag signal. She had told him to send one up when he could no longer stand the wait.

Itachi smirked slightly to himself, it was amazing how well she could predict his every action how it seemed that she could get into his mind without a problem. Itachi turned slightly bracing himself as he felt Sasukes presence catch up. Itachi felt the painful penetration of a katana charged with electricity go straight through him nailing him directly into a tree. He felt a goblet of blood run down his chin as he looked up at his brother. His face began to return to normal. Stiffly Itachi brought up an unarmed hand catching Sasuke by surprise, by touching his face.

Itachi felt his strength leaving him as his Sharingan deactivated making the world all to dim. He smiled. Finally Sasuke was able to break free from his shadow. Finally the world would look at his brother and see the strong man he really was, a shame that the Uchiha elders couldn't see it. Itachi could imagine their shocked faces. "You did good Sasuke." Itachi said, his voice growing rapidly quiet his soul he felt was slipping slowly out of his body. Stubbornly he kept it there, he was trying to stay if only to see Sakura one last time. Itachi brought his other arm up to hug his little brother his last embrace. "You did really good."

For some reason Sasuke began to tremble, and like Itachi had always done in the past, he pet the younger's head. Itachi felt a hand hold him up as the sword was yanked out, he was caught before he hit the ground. Itachi glanced at his brother face stormy like in the past when he was trying to figure something out. Sasuke laid him out to look at the sky the blue sky, so endless. He saw Sasuke a single tear escaped from his eye. Itachi reached up fighting against his body to gently touch his brothers face, it had been so long since they had such a touching moment such as this.

Itachi knew it was cruel of him to do this, he knew that it was cruel of him to suddenly make it look like Sasuke had killed the side of Itachi that Sasuke loved, the side that was his older brother. To Itachi though this was a good ending for him. He felt peace settle over him, it looked like he couldn't wait, he felt his breath get slower he was tired so very tired. He felt the fast approaching Sakura, she was coming and that was peace enough for him. He looked to Sasuke one last time. Gods let him be happy. He thought knowing very damn well that God would never grant a sinner a wish. "Have a good life Sasuke, live long and be…happy." He said his words quiet and barely hearable. Itachi felt himself slip away, into the darkness, and into the other world, to start a brand new journey.

_(VV)_

Sakura was the first one to see the flare go up, the red foreboding flare painted the sky a misplaced color. She paused for a moment to look up at it. She knew that she had been stalling hoping that Itachi would just wait a little longer, but she knew that even if he was patient he wasn't a Saint, neither of them were. She had stopped long enough to allow Naruto punch her and hard. She felt the cracking of several ribs and a couple of ruptured shocked organs, she felt steady blooms of pain make their way across her torso she knew that this was the blow that she had been waiting for the blow that would take away her life, she could already feel the cloudiness fog her brain.

She hacked up globs of blood she knew from her lungs knowing that she was internally bleeding, and fluid was getting in her lungs very fast, she felt her breaths getting labored. But that didn't matter right now, she needed to get to Itachi. "Ryuu…ren" she called breathing labored. In less then a second he was by her side, easily deflecting Naruto's blows with the force of a dragon. He glanced to the red flare he had noticed too, and that's all he needed to know. Gently he picked her up like a princess careful not to damaged her organs further, and like the speed of light they were off. "Sakura!" she heard Naruto shout, she looked back to see the fury filled jinchuuriki.

" I'm sorry." She whispered to the wind, knowing no one in particular would hear. She turned her head forward she could feel his life slipping quickly, and she hadn't the time to spare.


	10. Brother against Brother

Chapter 10

She didn't feel out of breath, she had to thank the Kabuto within who aided her in that department. She was faster then she normally was, and she had Orochimaru to thank for it all. But she however didn't thank them she had them to curse, they were the bane of her existence. Not only that but they lived within her, and she loved to hurt them whenever she could. The wounds that Naruto put on her felt somewhat good, if it meant she could hurt them as well. She was willing to go through anything. She punched the ground where Naruto used to be upsetting it within a twenty foot radius.

She felt around for his presence barely dodging a scorching scratch for his claws as he tried to tackle her from behind. It ripped through the fabric, as the smell of burning flesh penetrated the air. But she didn't mind, at this moment she was fighting to die, they only question was, was he up to the challenge? She couldn't just die like that, and nor could she make him stop fighting her. She slashed a clawed hand toward his face while he stealthily dodged and appeared behind her. She hooked a foot in his and yanked slamming him to the ground only to find a substitution.

She looked around to spot. Ryuuren waiting and watching in a nearby tree. He would warn her when Itachi began to waver. She kicked Naruto in the face as he attempted to hit her with a rasengan. He would have to do better to beat her, yes much better. She did a second summoning jutsu, bringing a dragon familiar to the field, it was time to pull the stakes up a notch.

_(VV)_

Itachi watched as Sasuke rushed at him, he had gotten better he was able to completely block out Itachi's Tsukiyomi, he had even progressed by pulling a new technique Itachi had never seen an Uchiha do before and that was pull out a dimension to try and suck him in. Itachi had almost lost a leg to that one. It had made Itachi a bit happy to see that Sasuke was beginning to surpass him. It made him a bit sad that soon this would all end.

He dodges a handful of fast flying shuriken, offsetting a few of his own. He wanted to worry about Sakura but knew she could handle herself. He knew that she would fight until her last breath and still try to get over to him. She had said she would find him once the battle was over and not to die before then. That was fine, he would try his hardest to live in these circumstances. Detachedly Itachi felt a kunai barely graze his jugular vein. Itachi threw toward his brother a giant fire ball an element the Uchiha were known for using.

Itachi watched as Sasuke's alleged 'curse mark' make its way across his pale skin, highlighting his whirling red sharingan eyes. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment the strain on them was beginning to hurt a bit. He opened his eyes to see his brother huffing and breathing heavily, Itachi was beginning to feel tired as well, but he kept his breathing steady and even. Before him stood his brother, the new generation the one to restore the clan to its former glory, and even farther, under Sasukes reign Itachi knew that this problem wouldn't arise again.

Itachi knew that his brother would set that little part of the world right. Itachi had always loved his brother, he had always missed the child who willingly fell asleep beside him, unafraid and unshaken by his seemingly 'malevolent' presence. Itachi remembered so many things about the young man who now stood before him. Running his fingers through that wild hair, that mother had often compared to a chickens. Teaching the child how to set up traps and throw kunai. Yes, in those days. To Itachi Sasuke was the sunlight in his dark existence, the child who would give him a smile, the one person beside mother who didn't flinch at his touch.

Itachi wanted more then anything to erase himself so that his brother couldn't suffer anymore, so that he could live in that small world that Itachi had built for him. Itachi wished that Sasuke would be happy. Itachi watched as Sasuke began to transform. Itachi knew that this was the greatest thing he didn't like about what ITachi had done to his brother. He had pushed him to the point where he would submit himself to a curse mark. If only Itachi had been there to push away Orochimaru, of only that then Sasuke could have been spared the painful separation. Itachi watched as Sasuke spread those claw like wings, and his fangs grow, Itachi had created a monster.

Itachi whirled away from the incoming chidori punch, not expecting the attack to disperse from Sasukes hand landing a direct hit in his back. Itachi felt blood run from the back of his throat to the opening of his mouth as he jumped far away. He threw a knife toward Sasuke knowing that… this was the end of the line. He knew that he couldn't… no he could hold off Sasuke longer, but the fact of the matter was that he no longer wanted to. He closed his eyes, he was tired of this. Itachi turned midair facing the direction that Sakura went and sent up a flag signal. She had told him to send one up when he could no longer stand the wait.

Itachi smirked slightly to himself, it was amazing how well she could predict his every action how it seemed that she could get into his mind without a problem. Itachi turned slightly bracing himself as he felt Sasukes presence catch up. Itachi felt the painful penetration of a katana charged with electricity go straight through him nailing him directly into a tree. He felt a goblet of blood run down his chin as he looked up at his brother. His face began to return to normal. Stiffly Itachi brought up an unarmed hand catching Sasuke by surprise, by touching his face.

Itachi felt his strength leaving him as his Sharingan deactivated making the world all to dim. He smiled. Finally Sasuke was able to break free from his shadow. Finally the world would look at his brother and see the strong man he really was, a shame that the Uchiha elders couldn't see it. Itachi could imagine their shocked faces. "You did good Sasuke." Itachi said, his voice growing rapidly quiet his soul he felt was slipping slowly out of his body. Stubbornly he kept it there, he was trying to stay if only to see Sakura one last time. Itachi brought his other arm up to hug his little brother his last embrace. "You did really good."

For some reason Sasuke began to tremble, and like Itachi had always done in the past, he pet the younger's head. Itachi felt a hand hold him up as the sword was yanked out, he was caught before he hit the ground. Itachi glanced at his brother face stormy like in the past when he was trying to figure something out. Sasuke laid him out to look at the sky the blue sky, so endless. He saw Sasuke a single tear escaped from his eye. Itachi reached up fighting against his body to gently touch his brothers face, it had been so long since they had such a touching moment such as this.

Itachi knew it was cruel of him to do this, he knew that it was cruel of him to suddenly make it look like Sasuke had killed the side of Itachi that Sasuke loved, the side that was his older brother. To Itachi though this was a good ending for him. He felt peace settle over him, it looked like he couldn't wait, he felt his breath get slower he was tired so very tired. He felt the fast approaching Sakura, she was coming and that was peace enough for him. He looked to Sasuke one last time. Gods let him be happy. He thought knowing very damn well that God would never grant a sinner a wish. "Have a good life Sasuke, live long and be…happy." He said his words quiet and barely hearable. Itachi felt himself slip away, into the darkness, and into the other world, to start a brand new journey.

_(VV)_

Sakura was the first one to see the flare go up, the red foreboding flare painted the sky a misplaced color. She paused for a moment to look up at it. She knew that she had been stalling hoping that Itachi would just wait a little longer, but she knew that even if he was patient he wasn't a Saint, neither of them were. She had stopped long enough to allow Naruto punch her and hard. She felt the cracking of several ribs and a couple of ruptured shocked organs, she felt steady blooms of pain make their way across her torso she knew that this was the blow that she had been waiting for the blow that would take away her life, she could already feel the cloudiness fog her brain.

She hacked up globs of blood she knew from her lungs knowing that she was internally bleeding, and fluid was getting in her lungs very fast, she felt her breaths getting labored. But that didn't matter right now, she needed to get to Itachi. "Ryuu…ren" she called breathing labored. In less then a second he was by her side, easily deflecting Naruto's blows with the force of a dragon. He glanced to the red flare he had noticed too, and that's all he needed to know. Gently he picked her up like a princess careful not to damaged her organs further, and like the speed of light they were off. "Sakura!" she heard Naruto shout, she looked back to see the fury filled jinchuuriki.

" I'm sorry." She whispered to the wind, knowing no one in particular would hear. She turned her head forward she could feel his life slipping quickly, and she hadn't the time to spare.


	11. Times up

Chapter 11

Gaara was the first to see the stranger disappear, at a speed that could make Konoha's green beast seem slow. A moment he was there another moment he was beside the fallen Sakura whispering to her, Naruto poised to give the final blow. Gaara found himself impressed. As he used but one leg to deflect the infuried Naruto while simultaneously picking Sakura up with ease, toward a red flare they took off. Gaara and Sai hopped up into the trees trailing them with Naruto by their side. Over the years Naruto had become very good at controlling the nine tailed fox. To the point where he could even control it when he had four tails, without completely loosing his mind.

Gaara followed the strong chakra trail the stranger was now showing now that he was using chakra enhanced speed. He was amazed to find that the boy glowed a sort of multitude of color of white, blue and green. Gaara knew he was looking at the back of someone who was extremely strong, like the being who pulsed beside him. For some reason, the stranger and Naruto seemed like two similar souls. Gaara mentally shook himself concentrating on catching up he and Naruto made head way as Sai fell back taking up the rear. But it wasn't any use, for every step they took the one before took three. When they sped up so did he.

He was thrown off when they disappeared for a moment, then a moment later the man was waiting alone arms crossed a steely expression that clearly told them that he wouldn't let them pass. Gaara slowed to a stop biding his time while Naruto leapt at the stranger to find himself sent flying to the ground with a familiar chakra enhanced punch. Gaara looked into the eyes of this stranger, knowing that it was finally his turn to fight. All around Gaara he felt the power of sand rise, snaking around him.

Gaara knew that this would be a battle that he himself would never forget.

_(VV)_

Sakura, limped along using trees as support she was almost there. She used a chunk of her remaining chakra to do a crappy patched job but not enough to save herself from dying. She coughed violently pausing at a tree and slumping down, for a rest, Itachi was waiting for her she knew it, and if not he had tried to wait, she wanted to see his face one last time, she wanted to see the soul whose, experiences and pain was on the same level as hers.

Stubbornly she got up and progressed walking on. She limped to a clearing her ribs screaming at her in pain, he was here, she could feel him, she didn't know how, for his chakra signature had been snuffed out but somehow she knew. She knew that Sasukes, presence had passed her, she had repressed her already pitiful chakra levels for it to looked like she wasn't there. She scanned the clearing and spotted Itachis laid out body beneath the gentle rays of the sun. His eyes were close his head turned to one side, it looked as if he were sleeping, but she knew better, because she felt no pulse of his chakra.

She felt her legs give and tired she put chakra into her weakened arms to drage herself over to him. She felt Ryuurens chakra approached, he had stalled for long enough she didn't know what he had planned for them she knew she had no right to ask, she was only the mother to his former life. Tiredly, she collapsed beside Itachi looking at his peaceful face, even in death she really did love him. Lovingly she pat his cheek it was still warm, the sun kept them both warm. Slowly she felt her chakra, burn itself out unable to sustain the poorly applied healing jutsus letting her blood once again start to free fall.

"Thanks for being with me." She told the empty shell, knowing that he wasn't there but hoped his spirit was somewhere nearby, she knew that he would wait for her, alive or dead. She smirked as this scene reminded her of all of those years ago on her first A rank mission with team seven. This was just like the last scene of Zabuza and Haku, the strange part was the role were reversed in their case. She chuckled to herself, as she felt her life flash before her eyes, the good times the bad times, everything. She closed her eyes and whispered. "I'm coming… Itachi." She felt the arrival of all of her former friends, a pity she couldn't properly tell them goodbye.

_(VV)_

Sasuke came onto the scene as soon as Naruto passed him, he immediately turned to follow wondering why it hit him the only reason why Naruto would do that without saying hi to him would be because of Sakura. Sasuke turned on one foot and pushed chakra into his legs sending him to the front line, he felt the masses of other shinobi of their kind come to the converging point the place where he had left Itachi. He had known it was sloppy work to leave such a valuable body in the open, he knew all to well, but he knew he couldn't seal it, not after Itachi had given him that blissful expression.

Sasuke didn't understand why, he didn't want to know, he couldn't bring himself to love the brother he had hated for so long. He looked to the back of his best friend knowing what was driving him, that love for their first crush. She had been pivotal in their lives, she was there to help them jump the gap into the world of others, she had established the bridge to acceptance for them, and now they were about to lose her.

Sasuke knew it was too dangerous to keep her alive, he knew by now her mind would have gone crazy, no one got out of Orochimarus grip unscathed, even now she hadn't escaped him he lived within her, along with Kabuto. Sasuke remembered the day she came back, the day she had walked up the village tattered and torn her eyes hanging onto a false hope that he and Naruto had yet to understand.

They hadn't known she was broken, and torn no one did, aside from the higher ups who had sent her on the mission. Sasuke looked back on the memory a feeling of regret and 'if onlys' touched his mind if he could see her one last time, a smile on her face he would be fine. But he knew that wasn't true, he knew he would cry as unbefitting of an Uchiha it was he knew he would cry his tears displayed to the world to see.

Now he knew how it felt, comrades died all the time, but Sakura was his best friend and first love, he would never forget her and the reminder that he wasn't able to save her would always remain. They approached the clearing, where he had left his brother lying under the sun his face in peace. For a moment they were blinded the light reflecting everywhere. He stopped alongside Naruto scanning the field, their eyes resting on the two forms that lay together, both of them held peace in their faces. Sasuke looked farther to see, Neji, Tenten, Lee, and the rest of the village nin come up upon the clearing, looking at the two most pivotal people who had ever graced the village.

Sasuke turned to looked at the two, taking a step forward only to pause as a white stranger was before the both of them within a second to fast moving for even the Sharingan to catch. The stranger leaned over their bodies kneeling, he touched Sakuras cheek. "Stop!" Sasuke shouted, running up to the person. "Who are you?!" He drew a kunai, as the stranger turned, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, as he stared into the young mans face. The eyes, those eyes! Although they weren't the same color, the two weren't the same gender, this man… no the child couldn't be older then Sasuke had the same eyes, the same eyes as Sakura.

_(VV)_

Ryuuren, had watched from the trees as the people began to gather knowing that this was his last chance to take, their souls before the shinigami did. He wouldn't allow those damn scavengers to take them away, knowing that they would be condemned to hell. No Ryuuren would keep them, and together they could live in the dragon realms where they wouldn't be touched by the cruel hands of fate again.

He jumped down and kneeled brushing the back of his hand against the still soft skin of his beloved mother. She was a tragic heroine of a story that would always work against her, so fate had dictated but not anymore, no Ryuuren would ensure her happiness, then maybe one day, one day, she could be allowed back into the world where she could carve out a life once more with him as her guardian. "Stop!" he heard a shout. He stood, knowing the person who had cried out had been his mothers close friend, from what his mother had told him in those dark cave where he had live such a short life. She told him stories to keep him pacified, she couldn't produce him enough milk and she made up for that with her own food, and stories, even though he had been an infant he understood every word she had said.

He didn't know if it was the will to survive that had pushed him to that understanding or if it was his genes, or if he was really that smart, but he knew the person who was shouting was her first love by the name of 'Sasuke'. "Who are you?!" the bold youth asked. Ryuuren turned to looked the young Uchiha in the eye. In the human world he was considered to only be alive for a short two years, but dragons matured fast, and from his previous life he had been able to mature much faster then the rest of his peers.

The man stopped as he peered at him. Ryuuren wondered if it were the similarities his mother and him shared, the same looking eyes, almost delicate body structure. Ryuuren knew what was going through his mind. Ryuuren closed his eyes and bowed to the Uchiha in a respectful manner. "I'm merely a familiar," he looked up straightening himself as he walked toward the head of the two, extending a hand, gently he pulled their souls into his claws cradling them gently, they came easily as if they were waiting for him to come. He looked lovingly down at them. His mother, and beside her, the one person who could make her happy, he would protect the both of them.

"What did you do?" asked the softer voice Ryuuren looked up to see the wary eyes of the Uchiha. Reluctantly Ryuuren extended the claw that held Sakuras soul. "I took out their souls, I am here to take their souls to a happier place." "To heaven?" asked the blonde blue eyed boy he had engaged in a battle with just moments ago. Ryuuren looked away and shook his head. "Heaven would never accept the likes of them, only hell would accept them between the two." Ryuuren scanned the crowd, knowing they were all listening. He waved a hand, after he shifted Sakura beside Itachi. He waved a hand over the two bodies, they both sank into the earth, patches of flowers in their place.

Ryuuren glanced at the two souls in his hands they glowed dimly their true brilliance. The clouds surrounded their one spot, Ryuuren was lighted in a pillar of light, the dragon elders were calling him back. Gently he tapped Sakuras soul with a claw then Itachis in turn and they merged together, and expanded into a red and black dragon ball. Yes, he would bring them to a better place where they could dream. He jumped up his head turned toward the heavens, to a land where the dragons played only to be held back, by several sets of hands. He looked down, "Wait." Said a stern voice. Ryuuren looked to see the redhead known as Gaara step up. "You haven't finished explaining."

"You haven't finished explaining." Said Gaara shaking Sasuke out of his shock the eyes they were too familiar. It wasn't possible the boy couldn't be a familiar not when he looked too much like Sakura, and yet, and yet he was too old for him to be her son. Sasuke wanted to shake his head it wasn't possible. He looked to the ball in the strangers hand it swirled inside lightening just a bit. Sasuke watched as the stranger floated back the ground, landing. The boy smirked, "She did say you guys were a stubborn bunch." The boy looked down into the ball with a child-like innocence. "I guess you were right." He said quietly.

"Where are you taking them?" Sasuke demanded he wanted to know she was happy that she would be happy and taken away from this cruel world. The boy looked up with those eyes staring at Sasuke, he felt a shiver down his spine. "To the dragon realms where they wont be touched by this worlds so-called 'fate.'" Sasuke didn't feel convinced. The boy looked around to them all and sighed slightly in a manner that almost reminded Sasuke of his brother when he was slightly exasperated with Sasuke. He felt a prickle of irritation, that manner and face just didn't match. He felt relief inside though, at least he could hope that she would be happy. The boy turned shaking off the hands that held him back his hair tousled in the wind reveling strange scale like patterns across his skin.

"Sakura?" asked Naruto who came up beside him, Sasuke felt more relief so he wasn't dreaming this boy looked like Sakura. Sasuke looked at those eyes, the boy smiled slightly, gripping the clear swirling ball. "No… I am not her, but that's very close." He turned and jumped high into the air. He floated there for a second, and turned. His face turning serious, "There was something she wanted to tell you before she had descended into that madness. She loved you all, and she didn't hold anything against any of you, all of this time she was like Itachi waiting for an opportunity to die. She wanted to exchange her life and purge the land of evil her along with it. She has wiped out the Akatsuki organization for you, and in return gotten rid of the two souls she had absorbed to stay alive for you… She really loved you all. With her blessing,"

The boy floated downward to let them get a better look of him, his Sakura esque figure reminded all of them of her the angel of Konoha. "She sincerely wishes of all of you to make it so that another tragedy like her would never happen again. Just how she ordered for your mansion to burn." Sasuke looked as the boy pointed with a clawed hand toward a rising pillar of smoke. He turned back to the youth, he seemed older then that body portrayed. "So that you may all start anew, like phoenix out of the ashes to create the new world." The boy turned, his words sounding like something Sakura would say, those clear and deep penetrating words.

"Wait!" called Naruto almost desperate. Sasuke looked to his friend a serious expression on his face. "Who are really?" The boy paused once again. "I am Ryuuren… The soul of your beloved Sakura's son." Sasuke, felt the shock go through him as the youth flew up into the sky turning into a blue-green dragon with silvery white hair, in his hand a small dragon ball, he flew up to the heavens. For a moment the world froze. Sasuke smiled wryly. He looked at the peaceful expressions of the two who had effected his life the most.

He clapped Naruto on the back for some reason the world felt lighter to Sasuke, although it would never be the same without Sakura there and Sasuke knew that the lack of her presence in the world would haunt him. Sasuke didn't mind. Naruto turned to him a bit bewildered. "We have a new mission don't we dobe? Or were you not listening again?" Sasuke saw the awareness spark in the fox containers eyes. "That we do Sasuke, that we do." They walked toward the smoking village not knowing what would the future have in store for them. Not knowing if they could complete the missiont heir frined had asked of them. Sasuke smirked he knew what Sakura would say if she knew what he was thinking, and it made him laugh. He walked supporting Gaara on one side Naruto on the other. At a time like this Sakura would have hti them both over the head saying in that stern motherly voice. "Just shut up and do it."

Sasuke smiled, he would try his best, this was all he could give her try his best to restore the world, and in return for that wish she would grant his and be happy. Sasuke looked up at the sky, knowing that Sakura would never leave them alone, Sasuke knew that she was somewhere in that vast amount of blue, watching over Konoha as their guardian angel, despite what the world had done to her. Despite her 'tarnished innocence'.

THE END


End file.
